1. © 2001 by Prentice Hall and Anne S. Tsui, 2002 13-1 November 19 Positive Employee Relations

2. © 2001 by Prentice Hall and Anne S. Tsui, 2002l 13-2 HR planning Evaluating Global HRM Employee Relations Career Planning Benefits RewardingPaying Training Hiring Job designing The Course: HRM Activities Attract Motivate Retain

3. © 2001 by Prentice Hall and Anne S. Tsui, 2002l 13-3 Learning Objective – at the end of this topic, you should be able to:  Explain positive employee relations to a manager and how it can contribute to business goals.  Describe the three types of employee relations programs, how they differ and the goal of each.  Explain why managing the communication process is key to positive employee relations  Justify the importance of employee assistance programs in helping employees deal with personal problems that may interfere with job performance.  Distinguish the role of employee relations representative, relative to supervisors and top managers in maintaining a positive employee relations culture in a firm.

4. © 2001 by Prentice Hall and Anne S. Tsui, 2002l 13-4 Positive Employee Relations exists when:  Employees are treated fairly and consistently, with dignity and respect  Employees have a channel to voice their concerns and grievances  Employees have assistance on dealing with job or personal problems that affect their work  Employees are informed of changes in business that affect them  When there is two-way communication between employee and employer

5. © 2001 by Prentice Hall and Anne S. Tsui, 2002l 13-5 Positive Employee Relations Will Result in:  A well informed and confident work force  High employee commitment to the firm  Timely resolution of employee problems  Less grievances and complaints  Suggestions on ways to improve operations  Trust in management  High morale among employees

6. © 2001 by Prentice Hall and Anne S. Tsui, 2002l 13-6 Three General Types of Employee Relations Programs  Information Dissemination Programs  Employee Feedback Programs  Employee Assistance Programs

7. © 2001 by Prentice Hall and Anne S. Tsui, 2002l 13-7 Roles and Responsibilities in Employee Relations 1.Employee Relations Representatives or officers a. internal consultant to supervisors b. an objective advisor to employees c. an expert on communication issue 2. Supervisors – recognize when help is needed 3. Top managers – set up philosophy, policies, and serve as role models

8. © 2001 by Prentice Hall and Anne S. Tsui, 2002l 13-8 The Communication Process within an Organization Communication Channel Sender (Encodes Message) Receiver (Decodes Message) Noise Feedback

9. © 2001 by Prentice Hall and Anne S. Tsui, 2002l 13-9 Communication is Key to Positive Employee Relations  Keep message clear and simple  Repeat it many times  Use multiple channels  Feedback to ensure message received is same as message sent

10. © 2001 by Prentice Hall and Anne S. Tsui, 2002l 13-10 Information Dissemination Programs  Employee Handbook u Benefits u Important rules and procedures u Employee rights and responsibilities  On going Communications u Memos – changes in policies/procedures u Financial statements and business plans u Newsletters and Bulletin Boards  Electronic methods u Email u Intranet  Informal methods u MBWA u Beer parties

11. © 2001 by Prentice Hall and Anne S. Tsui, 2002l 13-11 Employee Feedback Programs  Employee Attitude Surveys  Appeals Procedure  Open door policy  Speak up program  Suggestion systems and recognition programs  “Email to the top”

12. © 2001 by Prentice Hall and Anne S. Tsui, 2002l 13-12 Excerpt from an Employee Attitude Survey To what extent are you satisfied with... 1. my pay and bonus 2.my benefits —overall 3.my chance to get a promotion or a better job 4.having a sense of well-being on the job 5.the respect and recognition I receive from management 6.my job security 7.the morale of my division 8.the degree of responsibility and autonomy I have in doing my work 9.the opportunity to have my ideas adopted 10.working with highly talented capable people 11.interdivisional cooperation and communication 1111111111111111111111 2222222222222222222222 3333333333333333333333 4444444444444444444444 5555555555555555555555 Highly Satisfied Highly Dissatisfied

13. © 2001 by Prentice Hall and Anne S. Tsui, 2002l 13-13 International Comparisons of Employee Satisfaction MexicoU.S.SingaporeJapan 82% 72% 66% 65% 58% 53% 43% 31% Where Workers Are Happy Percent Satisfied with Company as an Employer 100 0

14. © 2001 by Prentice Hall and Anne S. Tsui, 2002l 13-14 In Class Exercise 10: The problem in the use of email in developing a positive ER (Does Email Decrease Employee Productivity?) Read case 13.2 on page 452, chapter 13 Answer these questions: 1.What kind of communication is suitable for the use of email in developing a positive ER? 2.Based on the communication process, what should be done to ensure effective communication on email? 3.What kinds of training should be given to employees and managers on the use of email? Outline the learning objectives of such a training program and propose the content.

15. © 2001 by Prentice Hall and Anne S. Tsui, 2002l 13-15 Employee Appeals Procedure  Also known as “due process” – a procedure to allow for employee to have a fair hearing about an outcome  Fair procedure is often more important than a fair outcome  Employees are willing to accept an unfair outcome if the procedure is fair  This is known as “Procedural Justice”

16. © 2001 by Prentice Hall and Anne S. Tsui, 2002l 13-16 Employee Assistance Program (EAP) A company-sponsored program that helps employees cope with personal problems that are interfering with their job performance.

17. © 2001 by Prentice Hall and Anne S. Tsui, 2002l 13-17 An Employee Assistance Program Step 1 Identify troubled employee Self- identification Supervisor identification Step 2Step 3Step 4 Employee refuses to seek help and is terminated if problem has a significant nega- tive impact on work EAP counseling Problem solved; employee con- tinues to work or, if on leave, returns to work Treatment un- successful; employee is terminated Treatment Problem solved, employee con- tinues to work

18. © 2001 by Prentice Hall and Anne S. Tsui, 2002l 13-18 Possible candidates of EAP: 1.Excessive absenteeism patterns: 2.Unexcused and frequent absences 4.Tardiness and early departures 5.Problems with co-workers 6.Causing injuries to other employees through negligence 7.Poor judgment and bad decisions 8.Unusual on-the-job accidents 9.Deteriorating personal appearance 10.Inappropriate discussion of personal problems with customers

19. © 2001 by Prentice Hall and Anne S. Tsui, 2002l 13-19 Thinking Questions on Developing Positive Employee Relations  What is employee relations and why is it important for a company?  Employee relations sometimes deal with very sensitive issues. How can such matters be handled well by supervisors and ER officers?  What are the major approaches for developing a positive employee relations culture?  What is procedural justice and how does it relate to an appeal procedure? Why is it important?  Why do most companies have an Employee Relations Representative? Isn’t it the supervisor’s job to deal with employee relations?